Local News Archives

Campaign Responds To Calls For Debate

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The campaign of Congressman Fred Upton has indicated it is interested in scheduling debates between Upton and Democratic opponent Matt Longjohn, although it’s not being more specific than that. Longjohn last week challenged Upton to six debates, one in each of the district’s counties. After we contacted the Upton campaign to ask for a response, we were sent a statement attributed to campaign manager Nate Henschel. It says the campaign “will participate in public forums, discussions, and debates surrounding the issues. We plan on working with our opponents to ensure voters can see and hear for themselves our contrasting visions for the future of Southwest Michigan.” The Longjohn campaign says Upton called for debates after he secured the Republican nomination for the Sixth District seat this month.. ...Read Full Story

Car Break-Ins Reported

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Another round of car break-ins is under investigation by the St. Joseph Department of Public Safety. The department posted on its Facebook page Monday, saying the culprits are going through unlocked cars. There was also an attempted home break-in Sunday night, although the city isn’t saying exactly where it was. Everyone’s reminded to keep their house and car doors locked, and to remove valuables from their vehicles. Anyone who has security cameras that captured suspicious activity is asked to contact the St. Joseph Department of Public Safety. ...Read Full Story

Gas Prices Falling

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AAA Michigan reports that the average price for a gallon of gas has dipped about 10¢ in the last week on average, from just under $3 to $2.89 per gallon. But, they also say that price is nearly 50¢ higher than last year at this time. They also expect prices to spike again as we approach the Labor Day holiday weekend two weeks from today. The Benton Harbor-St. Joseph average is down a nickel to $2.90 per gallon, but if you go into Van Buren County, GasBuddy notes there are good bargains to be had, with prices in Gobles down to $2.68 and South Haven’s prices are around $2.81. Triple-A says gasoline inventories in the Midwest increased last week for the first time since the end of June, and that helped to stabilize the market and even bring the prices down. Michigan’s lowest prices according to the auto club are in Traverse City at $2.75.. ...Read Full Story

Three Women Shot In Benton Township

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Benton Township police are looking for suspects in a triple shooting. They were called to a home around 2:30 a.m. Sunday in the 800 block of Eastern Avenue for a report of shots fired and found three Benton Harbor women injured. All three were outside at a party when they were shot. According to police, 31-year-old Tiera Clark was shot in the chest and throat area, 31-year-old Holli Meridy was shot in the shoulder, and 30-year-old Alicia Watson was shot in the neck. There is no word on their conditions. Police have not identified any suspects or motive as yet.. ...Read Full Story

New Home For Berrien Cancer Service

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A move is in the works for Berrien County Cancer Service. Organization CEO Nancy Church tells WSJM News they’re relocating from their building on Red Arrow Highway near Stevensville to the second floor of the Marie Yeager Cancer Center in Royalton Township. She says this will put Berrien County Cancer Service closer to many patients.. ...Read Full Story

Closing Tax Loophole Means Big Bucks

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School districts around Berrien County have seen their revenues jump dramatically since the closure of a property tax loophole last year. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News legislation from state Representatives Dave Pagel and Kim LaSata made it possible to revoke the homestead exemptions of property owners making that claim on more than one property. Since the crackdown, Witkowski says nearly a million dollars more has been collected for Berrien County schools.. ...Read Full Story

Rural Development Grants For SWM

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Congressman Fred Upton has announced a couple of grants for Berrien and Van Buren counties. His office tells us the first USDA Rural Development grant in Berrien is $95,000 for the village of Baroda. It will be used to build a road through the industrial park. The park has 14 lots, 12 of which are sold to businesses looking to construct facilities. However, there isn’t road access to all of the sites. The grant will change that. It’s expected to lead to the creation of 20 jobs. The other grant is for $41,000 for Van Buren County to conduct a comprehensive countywide economic development plan. It will focus on three areas — transportation, workforce housing, and internet connectivity. Congressman Upton says the two USDA Rural Development grants will “directly help boost our local economy and create local jobs.”. ...Read Full Story

Prison Closing This Year

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The Ojibway Correctional Facility in the western Upper Peninsula will close in December. The Michigan Department of Corrections announced the closure today as the prisoner population continues to decline statewide. State Representative Scott Dianda, who represents the western Upper Peninsula, tells Michigan News Network it’s bad news.. ...Read Full Story

Historical Society Fundraising For Museum

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The Bangor Historical Society is looking to purchase its museum Museum on West Monroe Street. The society tells us it’s had a generous landlord for years, but now, the landlord would like to sell the building in the next year. So, that means the museum will have to purchase the building or move. Bob Emmert, president of the museum, spoke with WSJM News about the issue.. ...Read Full Story

Public Art On Hold

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There will not be any public art on the sidewalks in the city of St. Joseph next year. The program is being paused for a year, partly due to the retirement of communications director Susan Solon, and partly because she says it’s been successful in bringing people and families downtown and helping to fill storefronts that had been empty when it began as an economic development tool 15 years go.. ...Read Full Story

Milestone For Horizon Bank

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Horizon Bank has announced a new milestone. The bank that serves northern Indiana and southwest Michigan has surpassed $4 billion in total assets. Horizon Bank CEO Craig Dwight says this is the first time the institution has passed that mark in its 145 year history. He adds the bank is proud of reaching that level, believing the growth “helps us to continue on our mission of serving local communities.” He credits the latest news to “profitable acquisitive and organic growth.” Horizon Bank has more than 50 locations throughout Indiana and Michigan.. ...Read Full Story

Group Studies Local Retail Needs

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Cornerstone Alliance is looking at all options to help Benton Township replace the Target store in the Fairplain Plaza, which closed earlier this year. To that end, they’ve hired an organization called The Retail Coach to study the market. The company’s Will Kline talked about the work with 98.3 The Coast.. ...Read Full Story

Police Citizens Academy

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Anyone interested in learning more about police work will soon have a chance to take part in a Michigan State Police Citizens Academy. Trooper Alan Fitzpatrick of the Paw Paw post tells WSJM News the next academy will start September 24, and they’re taking registrations now. He says each Monday session looks at different aspects of the work state police do.. ...Read Full Story

Online Sales Tax Collections Increasing

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The state of Michigan will begin collecting sales taxes on online purchases from out of state sellers next month. The Michigan Department of Treasury tells us a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has prompted it to change the state’s sales tax administration. Shoppers were previously required to track and annually self-report uncollected taxes from mail order and online retailers physically located outside of Michigan. Treasury says this week’s announcement allows for the more efficient collection of the sales tax by collecting from businesses rather than individuals. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a more than 30-year precedent allowing the Michigan Department of Treasury to collect sales tax from retailers physically located outside the state if the retailer exceeds $100,000 in sales or 200 or more transactions in Michigan within the previous calendar year. The state Treasury Department estimates more than $200 million in additional state revenue will be collected each year under the new sales tax rule.. ...Read Full Story

Push To Improve National Parks

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National Parks in Michigan and around the nation could get some TLC if Congress Acts. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is promoting bipartisan legislation that would address the $12 billion maintenance backlog at parks across the country. Yaron Miller with the Pew Charitable Trusts Restore America’s Parks campaign says many of the problems at the parks impact access and safety.. ...Read Full Story

Local Wines Win Awards

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Some southwest Michigan wineries have come out on top in a statewide competition. Held in Lansing on August 9 was the 2018 Michigan Wine Competition. Out of 415 wines entered, wineries of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail were awarded 125 medals, including three in the Best of Class category. Among them were St. Julian Winery in Paw Paw, which took home the top honors in the categories of Dessert Wine and Fruit Wine. Winning in the Semi-Dry Red Wine category was Lawton Ridge Winery out of Kalamazoo. The Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail is a collaboration of 20 member wineries all located in Southwest Michigan. You can find out more about them at MIWineTrail.com.. ...Read Full Story

Road Commission To Try Again

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The Van Buren County Road Commission is going to try again. After a ballot proposal asking the public for a millage increase to improve the roads was shot down last week, Road Commission Engineer Manager Larry Hummel says they’re now going to put it on the November ballot. He told The Herald Palladium trying again in November will allow more time to promote the millage proposal. The goal is 3 mills over 12 years, generating about $10 million per year. The ballot language will be revised to better explain how the money will be shared with local governments. The millage proposal was rejected last week with about 44% voting in favor. The Van Buren County Road Commission tells us it needs extra money in order to get the county’s roads in better shape. Hummel says about 67% of them are in poor condition.. ...Read Full Story

Man Found Guilty Of Murder

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An Elkhart, Indiana man has been found guilty of murder in Cass County. The Cass County Prosecutor’s Office tells us 33-year-old Joseph Craigo’s trial wrapped up Friday after about a half hour of deliberations. The trial included testimony from 19 witnesses about the night in March of last year when Craigo’s father was killed. The prosecution said a methamphetamine-addicted Craigo went to his parent’s house with the intention of taking what he wanted and then killing his father. It tells us Craigo used a homemade knife to try to slit his father’s throat before plunging it into his neck. Criago’s 66-year old-mother testified he threatened to kill her as he fled the scene. Craigo had claimed self-defense, and later, that we was covering for his mother, who he said actually committed the murder. In court, though, he admitted to the stabbing. Craigo will be sentenced on September 14. The penalty for murder in the first degree is mandatory life in prison without parole.. ...Read Full Story

Allegan Deputies To Carry Anti-Overdose Drug

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Deputies with the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department will now be carrying anti-overdose drug Naloxone as part of their regular equipment. Naloxone is a simple nasal spray that can get a person breathing again when they experience an opioid overdose. The sheriff’s department tells us a grant helped to buy enough doses for all of its divisions to keep on hand. The Grand Rapids Red Project came to Allegan and Saugatuck to provide Naloxone training to staff of the sheriff’s department. The drug has become a common piece of standard police equipment in southwest Michigan as the opioid epidemic continues to cause overdose deaths.. ...Read Full Story

Police Dog Campaign Completed

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The Cass County Sheriff’s Department has completed a project to protect one of its K9s from excessive heat. Last fall, the Bow Wow Bakery and Bath in Dowagiac started the “Keep Nellie Cool” campaign, aiming to raise money for a heat sensor in the patrol car used by K9 Nellie and her handler, Deputy T.K. Grave. The sensor could alert Grave when the car gets too hot so she can respond to protect Nellie. The sheriff’s department says last year there were seven Police K9s killed nationwide from overheated vehicles. A total of $12,000 was raised by the Keep Nellie Cool campaign, and a used Tahoe was purchased with it and to be outfitted for proper use with Nellie. The car that was being used by the Nellie, a bloodhound, and her handler was scheduled to be taken out of service. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department thanks everyone who chipped in to the campaign.. ...Read Full Story

Line 5 Hearings Coming Up

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The future of the Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac will be the topic of two hearings in Traverse City, one Saturday, and the other on Monday. Liz Kirkwood, executive director of the group For Love of Water, tells us Line 5 has surpassed its lifetime in terms of safety. Her group believes it risks the health of the Great Lakes every day that it continues to carry oil.. ...Read Full Story

Wallace Avenue Work On Track

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In case you’re wondering if Wallace Avenue in St. Joseph will be back open in time for next Friday’s season opening football game at St. Joseph High School, part of it will be. St. Joe City Engineer Tim Zebell tells us the city is well aware of the upcoming football action, and crews will have traffic open on Wallace between South State Street and Stadium for the game, making access to the school from the east possible on Wallace. Access from the west will have to be on Kingsley. The road surface will still be rough as the reconstruction project on Wallace is still weeks away from being finished, but it will be available for game traffic next Friday. Otherwise, Zebell says the plan is to have the paving done and Wallace back open in time for the start of school. You can follow all of the latest on the Wallace Reconstruction project at the city’s website. You can find it right here.. ...Read Full Story

Wreckage Of Lost Plane Found In Upper Peninsula

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From the Associated Press — Authorities have positively identified a couple whose remains were recovered from the wreckage of a small plane that crashed more than 20 years ago in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Mackinac County Sheriff Scott Strait said Thursday the remains have been positively identified as those of missing couple Mark and Janet Davies. The single-engine Piper PA-28 that 45-year-old Mark Davies was piloting took off Sept. 14, 1997, from Drummond Island in Lake Huron and was headed to Howell, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) to the south. A four-day search at the time failed to find the remains of the couple or the plane. The wreckage was discovered July 11 in the Hiawatha National Forest near St. Ignace. Strait says the National Transportation Safety Board has completed its on-site investigation.. ...Read Full Story

Food Assistance Work Requirement Being Expanded

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A work requirement for able-bodied adults with no dependents who are receiving food assistance will go into effect across Michigan in October. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News those affected will have to work an average of 20 hours per week to continue getting food aid.. ...Read Full Story

Feds Appeal Parlak Decision

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is appealing a decision that allowed Ibrahim Parlak to stay in the United States. Last month, an immigration judge approved Parlak’s application for deferral of deportation under the Convention Against Torture. Homeland Security has asked the decision to be reconsidered, meaning the fight for Parlak now goes to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Congressman Fred Upton spoke with WSJM News on Thursday about the issue.. ...Read Full Story

Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over Crackdown

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The upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend will have a lot of us on the road for a final summer trip. As has been the case for years, extra police patrols will also be out there. Berrien County Undersheriff Chuck Heit says multiple agencies around the county are taking part in another Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over campaign.. ...Read Full Story

Schuette Evasive When Questioned About Healthy Michigan

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No direct answer from Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Schuette to a question on the future of Governor Snyder’s Healthy Michigan program if he’s elected. The Medicaid expansion provides health insurance for 680,000 people in the state. At the Oakland County Republican Party headquarters Wednesday, Schuette gave a rambling answer to a yes or no question, saying he prefers a private-sector focus on healthcare instead of expanding Medicaid. He also said children should be able to stay on their parents’ plan until the age of 26 and he favors keeping pre-existing conditions covered.. ...Read Full Story

Senator Proos Praises Closing Western U.P. Prison In December

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How many prisons does the state need? The Michigan Department of Corrections and state lawmakers say not as many as we currently have, and the announcement was made this week that the Ojibway Correctional Facility in the far western Upper Peninsula will close in December. Senator John Proos of St. Joseph says it makes sense to close down facilities rather than keep them open and pay for empty beds.. ...Read Full Story

Queen Of Soul Aretha Franklin Dies At 76

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The music world has lost an icon. The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, has died at her home in Detroit at the age of 76 from pancreatic cancer. Franklin has been in hospice care for much of the past week at her home on the Detroit River. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Barbara and C.L. Franklin, a Baptist minister. After moving to Detroit, she became active musically and recorded her debut album at the age of 14 in 1956. Franklin won 18 Grammy awards and was the first female solo artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. She performed at two presidential inaugurations: 1993 for Bill Clinton and 2009 for Barack Obama. Along with her storied music career, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George W. Bush and Yale University awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in Music in 2010.. ...Read Full Story

Trolling With The Troops Next Week

Coming up next week is the second annual Trolling with the Troops event in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. Organizer Scott Mann tells WSJM News it’s a fishing trip for veterans out in Lake Michigan. The local Steelheaders recruit boat captains to take the veterans out, and then a celebratory lunch is held after. Last year, they had 67 veterans and 17 boats.. ...Read Full Story

Grant For Great Lakes Protection

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Congressman Fred Upton has announced a $180,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant for the Allegan Conservation District. It’s specifically for the Allegan Conservation District Project, intended to encourage the implementation of best management practices to reduce sediment runoff in the Gun River Watershed. The Great Lakes Commission says the program protects the lakes by helping communities reduce the sediment and nutrient runoff. Upton’s office says every year, tons of pollutants enter the Great Lakes Basin, causing economic and environmental losses, along with contributing to the formation of Algal Blooms and dead zones. The GLC aims to fight that by working with local organizations like the Allegan Conservation District. The grant funding is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under an agreement between the GLC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.. ...Read Full Story

Recognition For SWM Wines

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Some southwest Michigan wineries have come out on top in a statewide contest. Held in Lansing on August 9 was the 2018 Michigan Wine Competition. Kathy Sturm with the Lake Michigan Wine Trail tells WSJM News out of 415 wines entered, wineries of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail received a good deal of medals.. ...Read Full Story

Allegan Agency Sued By Justice Department

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The Allegan Area Educational Service Agency is being sued by the U.S. Justice Department for failing to protect two female teachers who were subjected to sexual harassment by a supervisor. The department says the suit, filed Wednesday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, alleges the Allegan Area Educational Service Agency discriminated against the two teachers when they were repeatedly subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace by a former principal at the school where they worked. The principal was later convicted of criminal assault of the teachers. The Justice Department lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the teachers, and also a requirement that AAESA develop and implement policies that would prevent sex discrimination and harassment in the future.. ...Read Full Story

MI Unemployment Rate Down

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From the Associated Press — Michigan’s unemployment rate fell by one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.3 percent in July.
Figures released Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget show Michigan’s jobless rate was four-tenths of a percentage point higher than the national rate of 3.9 percent last month and two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the state’s July 2017 rate of 4.5 percent. The agency says total employment in Michigan increased by 6,000 during the month while the number of unemployed fell by 7,000. Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives Director Jason Palmer says Michigan’s July jobless rate was the lowest since 2000, but total employment remains about 250,000 below the level achieved then.. ...Read Full Story

Bangor Police Event Today

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If you’re a resident of Bangor or thinking of moving to Bangor, you’re invited to the End of Summer Bash and Fire Prevention Fun Day on Wednesday, starting at five at the Bangor High School and Middle School lot. Hot dogs, burgers, and chips will be available for free. Backpacks and school supplies will be given to the first 100 kids. Police will display how the Jaws of Life work, and firefighters will be on hand. The event is sponsored by the Bangor Community Fire Department, Bangor Police Department, and Bangor Public Schools. The school district will have informational booths for those families interested in attending Bangor Public Schools.. ...Read Full Story

Hearing Pushed Back In Dowagiac Murder Trial

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Court proceedings in a Dowagiac murder trial are being pushed back to next month. Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz says the preliminary exam for Rolandis Russell has been rescheduled from tomorrow until September 10. Russell is facing eight charges for the shooting death of Fabian Wesaw outside the Beeson Street Bar on July 29. He’s accused of getting an AK-47 out of his car and firing at a man with whom he was arguing, but missed the intended target. Wesaw was part of a group that followed the men outside and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police had been sent to the bar for the fight, and say they heard the gunshots while they were en route.. ...Read Full Story

State Expanding Collection Of Sales Taxes

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The state of Michigan will begin collecting sales taxes on online purchases from out of state sellers next month. The Michigan Department of Treasury tells us a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has prompted it to change the state’s sales tax administration. Shoppers were previously required to track and annually self-report uncollected taxes from mail order and online retailers physically located outside of Michigan. Treasury says this week’s announcement allows for the more efficient collection of the sales tax by collecting from businesses rather than individuals. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a more than 30-year precedent allowing the Michigan Department of Treasury to collect sales tax from retailers physically located outside the state if the retailer exceeds $100,000 in sales or 200 or more transactions in Michigan within the previous calendar year. The state Treasury Department estimates more than $200 million in additional state revenue will be collected each year under the new sales tax rule.. ...Read Full Story

Youth Fair Continues All Week

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Now in full swing in Berrien Springs is the 2018 Berrien County Youth Fair. The rides opened up Monday evening, just in time for Kids Day on Tuesday. That’s when the kids through high school age got in for free. Tuesday also featured a corndog eating contest between 98.3 the Coast’s Jonny and The Herald Palladium’s Tony Witkowski. They attempted to eat five corndogs in five minutes. For Johnny, it wasn’t easy going.. ...Read Full Story

MI Prison Closing This Fall

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The Ojibway Correctional Facility in the western Upper Peninsula will close in December. The Michigan Department of Corrections announced the closure today as the prisoner population continues to decline statewide. State Representative Scott Dianda, who represents the western Upper Peninsula, tells Michigan News Network it’s bad news.. ...Read Full Story

Judge Who Sentenced Nassar To Remain

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From the Associated Press — A Michigan chief judge says a colleague who sentenced former sports doctor Larry Nassar to prison for molesting women and girls will remain on the case. Ingham County Circuit Judge Richard Garcia ruled Tuesday in defense of Judge Rosemarie Aquilina’s status on Nassar’s case. Nassar’s appellate lawyers, accuse her of bias during a seven-day hearing in January when roughly 150 victims spoke and say he deserves another hearing. At sentencing , Aquilina said Nassar deserved cruel punishment if the Constitution would allow it. Garcia says Aquilina’s statements “do not constitute impermissible bias.” He added that Nassar apparently wants to be resentenced by a judge “who is ambivalent about the suffering of his victims,” and that “standard would disqualify any judge with a pulse.” This month, Aquilina said she wouldn’t disqualify herself.. ...Read Full Story

Bill To Boost National Parks Funding

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National Parks in Michigan and around the nation could get some TLC if Congress Acts. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is promoting bipartisan legislation that would address the $12 billion maintenance backlog at parks across the country. Yaron Miller with the Pew Charitable Trusts Restore America’s Parks campaign says many of the problems at the parks impact access and safety.. ...Read Full Story

Bangor Group Looks To Buy Museum

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The Bangor Historical Society is looking to purchase its museum Museum on West Monroe Street. The society tells us it’s had a generous landlord for years, but now, the landlord would like to sell the building in the next year. So, that means the museum will have to purchase the building or move. Bob Emmert, president of the museum, spoke with WSJM News about the issue.. ...Read Full Story

Time Changed For U-M Band Performance At Lakeshore

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If you’re planning to watch the University of Michigan marching band perform at Al Stockman Stadium at Lakeshore High School on September 1, you need to get there a little earlier. The time has changed and is now 12:30 pm for the performance of the pregame and halftime performances, which had originally been scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Michigan is stopping by Lakeshore on the way to the opening game of the season at Notre Dame that night. Michigan State also performed at Lakeshore a few years ago while en route to South Bend for their last game against the Fighting Irish.. ...Read Full Story

University Program Offers Two Years Of Tuition

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From the Associated Press — A new program at Eastern Michigan University allows prospective students willing to commit to paying for their first two years of tuition to get their final two years paid for by the university. The Ann Arbor News reports the 4WARD Graduation Scholarship concept is scheduled to begin for students entering college in fall 2019. Eligible students
pay for the their first two consecutive years of tuition at a locked-in rate that’s expected to be a little more than $13,000 a year for 30 credits. The school’s Vice President for Enrollment Management Kevin Kucera says students will live in an on-campus community for each of their four years at a locked-in room-and-board rate. Participants would get two consecutive years of
education of 30 credits per year paid for by the school.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph Putting Public Art On Hold For 2019

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There will not be any public art on the sidewalks in the city of St. Joseph next year. The program is being paused for a year, partly due to the retirement of communications director Susan Solon, and partly because she says it’s been successful in bringing people and families downtown and helping to fill storefronts that had been empty when it began as an economic development tool 15 years go.. ...Read Full Story

State Police Citizens Academy Next Month

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Anyone interested in learning more about police work will soon have a chance to take part in a Michigan State Police Citizens Academy. Trooper Alan Fitzpatrick of the Paw Paw post tells WSJM News the next academy will start September 24, and they’re taking registrations now. He says each Monday session looks at different aspects of the work state police do.. ...Read Full Story

Antwan “Tank” Mims Expected To Be Arraigned Tuesday

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Antwan “Tank” Mims is back in southwest Michigan after spending some time on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list this summer for a double murder at a party on March 25. He is expected to be arraigned Tuesday on two charges of open murder for the deaths of 22-year-old Cortez Miller and 29-year-old Michael Johnson. Benton Harbor Public Safety Director Dan McGinnis talked to our partners at WNDU NewsCenter 16 after Mims was taken off a plane and sent to the Berrien County Jail Monday afternoon.. ...Read Full Story

Marijuana Business Plans MI HQ

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From the Associated Press — A medical marijuana business plans to build a headquarters for its state operations in southern Michigan. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports Michigan Pure Med plans to break ground this fall on a growing and processing center in Marshall that in five years is expected to employ about 400 people. Joe Jarvis, chief operations officer of Pure Med, says the company also plans research and development at the facility. He says the company is “taking a pharmaceutical approach to the market and bringing high-quality, low-cost product and making that available to Michigan patients.” Pure Med had previously received approval for a smaller site. The newspaper says the company will have 10 retail locations or provisioning centers in Michigan. Michigan voters approved marijuana use in 2008 for some chronic medical condition.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien Property Tax Collections Up

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School districts around Berrien County have seen their revenues jump dramatically since the closure of a property tax loophole last year. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News legislation from state Representatives Dave Pagel and Kim LaSata made it possible to revoke the homestead exemptions of property owners making that claim on more than one property. Since the crackdown, Witkowski says nearly a million dollars more has been collected for Berrien County schools.. ...Read Full Story

Grants Announced For Baroda, Van Buren County

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Congressman Fred Upton has announced a couple of grants for Berrien and Van Buren counties. His office tells us the first USDA Rural Development grant in Berrien is $95,000 for the village of Baroda. It will be used to build a road through the industrial park. The park has 14 lots, 12 of which are sold to businesses looking to construct facilities. However, there isn’t road access to all of the sites. The grant will change that. It’s expected to lead to the creation of 20 jobs. The other grant is for $41,000 for Van Buren County to conduct a comprehensive countywide economic development plan. It will focus on three areas — transportation, workforce housing, and internet connectivity. Congressman Upton says the two USDA Rural Development grants will “directly help boost our local economy and create local jobs.”. ...Read Full Story

Group Looking At SWM Retail Needs

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Cornerstone Alliance is looking at all options to help Benton Township replace the Target store in the Fairplain Plaza, which closed earlier this year. To that end, they’ve hired an organization called The Retail Coach to study the market. The company’s Will Kline talked about the work with 98.3 The Coast.. ...Read Full Story